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Grand Slam 1990
Having made their supporters endure a 59 year gap between their first and second Grand Slams, Scotland ensured that it would be a much shorter gap before the streets of Edinburgh were again reverberating to the strains of “Flower of Scotland”, following the 1984 triumph by sweeping all before them in 1990.
There was little sign of the excitement ahead during a gritty 13-10 win over Ireland in Dublin in the first match of the campaign.
Scotland trailed 7-0 at half-time and then 10-6 midway through the second half, before No.8 Derek White emerged as the unlikely hero. White scored both tries, the first converted by Craig Chalmers, who also kicked a penalty as Scotland scraped a narrow win.
Defending champions France were next, but their miserable Murrayfield record continued as they were thrashed 21-0.
Scotland only led by a Gavin Hastings penalty to nil at the interval, but when the French were reduced to fourteen men following the dismissal of flanker Carminati they gave themselves an almost impossible task, and the Scots took advantage.
A Chalmers penalty was followed by a Finlay Calder try (thereby emulating his twin brother Jim in scoring a try against France in a Grand Slam season) and a Chalmers conversion. A second try, this time by Iwan Tukalo, was again converted by Chalmers who completed the rout with a penalty as the Scots ran out winners by 21-0.
Scotland's third game, against Wales in Cardiff, was similar to their first. Solid, determined and unspectacular, with only one try apiece in a very tight game as Scotland took the spoils by thirteen points to nine. Damien Cronin's try allied to three penalties from Craig Chalmers made up Scotland's tally.
And so to Murrayfield…
Scotland against England. The victors would win not only the Calcutta Cup but also the championship, the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam. Seldom before had one Five Nations match offered such a prize.
The media hype in the build-up was unprecedented. The perception of English arrogance in assuming they simply had to turn-up to win was used to motivate the Scots.
Television pictures of English captain Will Carling telling his team that they were better than their opponents raised the hackles; tales of “England Grand Slam 1990” t-shirts and ties being on sale in Edinburgh before the game heightened the frenzy and when David Sole led the Scots on a slow, determined march out of the Murrayfield tunnel ahead of the game, emotions were at fever pitch.
“Flower of Scotland” has rarely been sung with such gusto and with such backing the Scots tore into their opponents.
Chalmers landed two early penalties before Guscott scored a try for England. Incredibly, it was their first touch down at Murrayfield for ten years, but that mattered far less than its immediate impact, which was to narrow the Scots' lead to two points.
Boosted by their score England laid siege to the Scottish goal-line, but as they had displayed in their matches in Cardiff and Dublin, the Scots defence was made of stern stuff and held firm against the onslaught.
Instead it was Scotland who got the only other score of the half, a third Chalmers penalty leaving Scotland with a 9-4 advantage as the teams changed round.
The next score would be vital and it was only seconds away.
From the re-start, Scotland attacked; Gavin Hastings chipped the ball towards the line and winger Tony Stanger was first on the scene to grab the bouncing ball before diving to score and ensure that England would have to score at least twice to secure the tie that would give them the title on points difference.
For much of the remainder of the game Scotland were on the back foot, but time after time the white jerseys were repelled. Every time a gap appeared, a blue jersey filled it; whenever an English player threatened to score he was laid flat.
England could only add a single Rob Andrew penalty to their earlier score as the Scots showed no sign of buckling and when the final whistle sounded, heralding a 13-7 win, the celebratory roar must surely have been heard all over Edinburgh. Written by: Dave Low | 
